Leading Polish furniture designer uses red oak for International award trophies

Tomek Rygalik, the founder and lead designer of internally acclaimed Polish design brand Studio Rygalik, has used American red oak for the design of winning trophies at the International Interior Design Trade Fair – Warsaw Home.

American red oak not only has a minimal carbon footprint but is also truly sustainable. Nearly one out of every five hardwood trees standing in the U.S. forests is a red oak, yet industries in Europe are reluctant to use it. The idea was to show the beauty of this heavily underused species to the world of designers and architects who attended the show on 4-7 October 2018 at the PTAK Warsaw Expo.

AHEC has provided red oak to Tomek who decided this would be the best material to craft the trophies from and a way to show the exquisite colour and grain of the wood species that is virtually unknown in Poland. The winners of these very special prizes will thus gain a unique opportunity to get a feel of one of the most sustainable wood species in the world, encouraging designers to turn to rarely used wooden materials. American red oaks have very good overall strength properties relative to weight, with medium bending strength, stiffness and high crushing strength. Being hard, stable when dry and easy to finish and stain, the material is ideal for furniture and flooring.

The Warsaw Home – International Interior Design Trade Fair took place at the PTAK Warsaw Expo and is an opportunity for manufacturers and distributors representing the furniture, furnishings, components and accessories sectors to showcase their products and ideas. Warsaw Home is a mixed-concept event, providing a business platform for international transactions as well as a meeting place for style and design aficionados. The event has attracted well-known designers, including Tom Dixon, Stefano Giovannoni, Nika Zupanc, Giulio Cappellini, Mac Stopa, Jonas Petterson, Maja Ganszyniec, Oskar Zięta, and Tomek Rygalik. Visitors had an opportunity to browse objects and pieces in 5 different sections: Design, Furniture, Decorations, Kitchen & Dining, and Interior Furnishings.